Pneumatic cue.



E. B. SMITH.

PNEUNIATIC CUE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I0. |915.

1.279,92@ Patented-sept. 21.1, 1918.

EZRA IB. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATI GUE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

Application ledl April 10, 1915. Serial No. 20,517;

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, EzRA B. SMITH, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvem'ent inv Pneumatic Cues,and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, such as willV enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, whichV my invention and of its object and advan-vtages, reference may be had to the following detailed description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure lis an elevation of a cue arranged in accordance with myinvention;

VFig 2 is a longitudinal axial section on an enlarged scale, throughwhat may be termed the head of `the cue;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the rear end of thehead with the vdriving member in its retracted position; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 `of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, l represents a long slender tube having thefront end, 2, reduced in diameter and tapered gradually so as togive theeliect of a pointed end. Within the tubeis a spool-shaped piston, 3,fixed to the inner end of a rod, Ll, which projects out throughA and isguided by the pointed end ofthe tube; rod is secureda small Vcup-shapedmember, 5, containing in the outer end a cushion, 6, preferably ofrubber; this cushion projecting far enough so that it alone engages theball when theucue is operatedl `At the rear end of the tube is a nipple,,7, upon which is slipped oneend of a flexible tube, 8,1having.

at its othere'nd a compressiblebulb, ,9L

Upon pressing the bulb, the'air" behind the piston forces fit. forwardlatv a speed depend- `ingupon the manner in which the bulb is pressed.Thus if the blb .is pressed 'quickly On the outer end of the andsharply, the piston and rodwill be shot forward at a high speed so as tobe capable of delivering a strong blow while, on the other hand, if thebulb is pressed less quickly, the movement of the piston and rod will beless rapid and a softer blow may be struck.

The piston has simply a nice sliding t within the tube, because packingof any kind would impede its movement. Consequently if the bulb is keptcompressed for a short time, the air will leak past the piston, althoughthis leakage will not be suflicient to interfere with the positiveoperation of the piston in striking a blow. In the reduced end of thetube are openings, 10, which permit the air to escape in advance of thepiston and which also permit the air to enter freely in front of thepiston and drive it back when the bulb is released. In order to preventthe piston frommaking a tight seal when it is shot forward and heldthere momentarily, I form on the front end thereof a projection, 11,somewhat smaller in diameter than the piston, this projection preventingthe piston from seating itself tightly in the rear end of the reducedportion of the tube. This arrangement permits the air toleak past thepiston in both directions when at` the front end of the tube, insuringthat suilicient air will pass out of the tube from behind the piston ateach stroke to bring about a quick return of the piston, and alsopermitting sufficient air to leak inwardly if the bulb should be heldcompressed too long, to allow the bulb to be filled with air atatmospheric pressure.

`As heretofore stated, if the piston is packed the. packing interferes`with its free movements back and forth, butthe very fact that thepiston is left entirely free gives rise to the disadvantage that thepiston and rod will dropdown if the head of the cue is held upright orat any considerable angle to the horizontal, as it will naturally beheld in making many of the shots in a billiard or pool game.

In order to hold the piston in its retracted position and at the sametime permit it to move freely inmaking a stroke, I have provided a smallspring linger which engages with the piston, when retracted, andyieldingly holds it with just suliicient pressure to preventv the weightof the piston and its rod from causing them to drop. The impact requiredtorelease the piston is very slight so that as soon as the bulb isconipressed the piston travels forward Without any appreciablehesitation in starting.. that. is Without permitting any considerablerise in pressure behind the piston to take place before the pistonbegins to travel.

En the particular arrangement shown, I have made the rear end of thepiston cup.- shaped so as to provide a rearwardly-opening chamber, 12..The resilient. member con,- sists oil a loop, 1 3, oii light springWire, the major portion of which lies just in front oef the, nipple 7whileits arms. project rearwardly into. the nipple; one of the arms. being extended into. and preferably through a slot, 14:, cut in the rearend of the nipple.. The freey end of thisv latter arm maybe laid alongthe outer side of the nipple as indi'- cated at 15J so that when theflexible tube4 is.

slipped over the, nipple it assists; in holding the:y spring member inplace., Of course the slot 14, may be closed. upon the. arm of thespring member so, as to. hold it. securely in place.` The free arm of'the spring, member.

is. made only long enough to` permit; it. to, extend into.Y the` nippleand act as. a. guide.. The parts. are so proportioned that when thepiston comesback as. indicated in Fig.. 3, the spring loop enters. the.chamber L2 and holds the. piston with a very light pressure.. When thebulb. vis compressed,y hoivever, the

first. slight increase in. pressure 1n the airf behind thev pistondrives it forward and re` leases it from the. holding device so, that itmay travel forward freely.

While I. have; illustrated and described:

with particularity only a single prelierred.

form ofmyinvention, I do` notI desire to, be; limited to the exactstructural details. thus; illustrated and described; but intend .tocover all forms and arrangements which come Within the terms employed inthe definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim.:

l. A pneumatic. cue including an elongated tube, a piston silidableWithin. the tube, a stem projecting :trom said piston at one end of the`tube,` an air compressing device,`

connected to 'the other endy of tbstube, and; means. at the latter endofsaid tube. for yieldingly holding the Piston against moverl menttoward the other end.

connected to. the other endof the. tube, and` A pneumaticcue includingan elongated tube,E a. piston. slidable within the tube, a stemprojecting` from said piston at. one end. of they tube, an aircompressing device means.. yieldingly engaging the pistonat a.predetermined vpoint in )its'bacirward stroke and` adapted to. hold it.against movement. .y Y

3.. A, pneunmtic.` cue includirug;4 an elon-y gated tube, a pistonslidzlibleW-ithiiithe tube,

astem proiecting trom said piston at. one end forward y.

of the tube` an'air compressing device connected to the other end of thetube, and a spring finger-frictionally engaging with said piston when itreaches a predetermined point to hold it yieldingly against movement ina direction to strike a blow.

d. @d pneumatic cue including an elongated tube, a piston, slidableWithin the tube, a stem projecting from said piston at one end oi' thetube, an air compressing device connected to the other end ofthe tube,sai-d piston having au elongated chamber openingl out of the rear endthereof, and aspringfinger arranged in the; tube in position to entersaid chamber and yeldingly hold the, piston against movement when the.piston: is. retracted., p

5. A pneumatic cue, including an elongated. tube, a piston slidableWithin the. tube,` a stem projecting from. said piston at one end of thetub.e, an air compressing device connected to the other end ofthe tube,said piston havingv au elongated chamber opening out of the. 'rear endthereof, a.. spring wire arranged in the form ofaloop having, 90 one endfixed to. the tube. at the rear end thereof, the, loop,` being inposition to enter the chamber in the'piston when the piston is..retracted, and yieldingly hold it against. iiorward movement 6. In apneumatic. cue, atube,l a piston arranged within the tube, a piston rodextending trom the piston out of. the frontend of theA tube, the 'frontend of the tube being gradually reduced in diameter to-give'it a 100pointed appearance, there. being openings. through the pointed end ofthe tube. to. permit the entrance. and exit ofair in advance of thepiston,I and said piston having a forward projection somewhat smallerindiam- V105 ete-r than that of the largest. por-tion of the. piston, toprevent the` piston from, making a tig-ht. jpi'nt at the front of thetube. when the piston shot forward.,

7. A. device of the. character described Y opposite end of said aimingpart, and an air compressing deviceconnected to. said tube.

S. pneumatic cue. comprising an elongated slender tub e, a strikingdevice movable lengthwise, Within the tube and projecting out,l throughone. end thereof, anfairw com--A pressing `devi-ce connected t0 A@heother end e of the. tube, and means for -yieldingly Iholding'saidstriking devicev in. its retracted.'p0-` sition Whenever A it reaches:that position. A

9.., A 'puenmatie cue including ancien` gatedtubd a pistonslidablewithin the tube, a. Vstem proiectng; from said: Piston ateneendof the tube, an air compressing device connected to the other end of thetube, and means for yieldingly holding the piston and the stem in aretracted position Whenever they reach such position.

l0. A pneumatic cue comprising an elongated tube, a striking devicearranged Within the tube and movable lengthwise thereof7 one end of thestriking device projecting beyond the tube, an air compressing deviceconnected to the tube at the opposite end of the striking device, Aandmeans for yieldingly holding said striking device in its retractedposition Whenever it reaches that position.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

EZRA B. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

